This is just a personal blog for me to write, record, take notes, etc. as I investigate the Follansbee beginnings in Durham England. I am not a professional Genealogist or Historian. I don’t even spells good!

Feel free to add links to sources or use what I have here to launch or add to your own investigations. My main focus is really just how did the villiage of Follonsby start and who started it?

Based on “The Report of the Follansbee Association” Follansbee was originally a 300 tract of land granted to a Sir Follansbee by William the Conqueror. This is unfounded so far, and from some reading it seems that in early America there was a craze to find family lands in England, and this report is most likely false. I will dig in to the Report in some posts to come.

So far I have traced Follansbee to the early 1200’s. So, lets see if we can crack the founding of Follonsby Village, and if not at least it will be fun trying.

Well, it has been a little while since I have been on here. Lots of research into the family tree to add. I have focused on my Nelson/Ostberg branch for the last six months or so, as well as other lines (Moodey, Sweet, and others). This year, I plan to continue the “Report to the Follansbee Association” and I need to update some earlier posts with newly found information, and other problems with dates and what-not.

Other happenings: I did the Ancestry DNA, which did verify what I already knew. However, I was surprised with the percentage of English heritage near 50%. with a total 100% European.

My current interest has been Scandinavia. With a distant cousin in Norway, I have really enjoyed a tremendous amount of information, pictures, family stories, and new family connections. The best part, being that I do not read Norwegian, is all the directly translated information. Jan, has many hours in research for our shared connections (Ostberg) as well as my direct connections (unshared) through my Norwegian Great-Great Grandfather, my Nelson line. I share some minor DNA with Finland via my Great Grandmother Lauha Saari and Great Grandfather Viktor Lusti. My 15% Irish is via my immigrant great grandmother Ellen Manning.

Recently, I joined a local lodge for the Sons of Norway. I love the idea of learning about my ancestors culture, learning how to cook some national dishes, and make some new connections. I plan to add some more surname pages to share some of these fantastic family histories.

My most recent and fantastic discovery is in my Moody line. If the tree is actually accurate back to Edmund Moodye c.1500’s, then I have an ancestor that saved King Henry VIII from drowning (you can see the scene in Tudors) and was granted money and a coat of arms. How likely is it that we are actually related? I am skeptical for now, I only found the connection and story by following hints on Ancestry.com. I doubt I will take the effort and time to paper chase this, I have enough to paper verify with my early generations. But, it is a fun story.

Bruce Edward Follansbee born May 13th, 1931 was the only child of Howard Barney Follansbee (1902-1947) and Martha (Sweet) Follansbee (1906-1946). He comes from a long line of Follansbees beginning with our Immigration from England, circa 1640’s. Migrating across the continent where his Grandfather and Father would settle in Zillah. Edward P Follansbee (1854-1948) would become the Treasurer for the city council and Howard (son of Edward) would be a partner in the Follansbee and Co General Store.

Bruce was orphaned early in life around the age of 15 according to his parents recorded dates of his parent’s deaths in the WA state archives. He lost his mother in 1946 to a brain tumor and his father in 1948 to kidney failure; just as the Nation was recovering from the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Loss at such a young age would always color Bruce’s life.

He spent a little time with each of his Grandmothers, Lena Sweet and Edna Follansbee before he started working at the Yakima Ice Rink, where he met his soon to be Wife, Joan Nelson (1931-2008). Joan and her sister Jean performed in a group at that ice rink and were known to be pretty good skaters. From this chance meeting on the cold ice, Bruce and Joan would start a family at the ages of 17 years old. A year later his first child, a daughter was born. It was a rough start, when Bruce’ first son was born Bruce had to give up his motorcycle as three could fit and not four!! Bruce had a bike accident in the Zillah orchard and took care of baby Sharon while he was in a body cast. She would be followed by two brothers. Having three children to support, Bruce would work various jobs, mostly as a driver. For Safeway he drove a truck to transport lettuce and he worked for Belkin Moving Company. Eventually he would work and rise in the ranks for Prudential Insurance.

As his grandson, who lost him at a young age, Bruce seemed to me to be both at once a hard, tough man who was loved and greatly respected by his family and the Yakima Community. Perhaps over the years his toughness softened, or perhaps he only had a hard shell and a heart of gold. He loved a good joke and had a fabulous sense of humor. Bruce was never one to rest on his laurels and let life move on without him. He took up running in his 40’s where he would run in the cold, in the heat, and kept pressing no matter how many blisters his blisters got. My father tells me he liked to run the roads between the old Yakima Mall and the YMCA on Yakima Ave.

Grandpa was not without his antics as our family stories prove. From his daughter, we are reminded of her early memories. “I remember being woken in the night a few times to go camping. Bruce and friends decided after a few beers that the families should jump in the cars and head to Rimrock Lake.” My father tells stories of a tough upbringing and a strict father, but he clarifies these as due to his stubbornness (The Famous Follansbee Stubbornness) and it was during the 50’s and 60’s a tough crossroad en a generation that remembered the Depression and were toughened up by WWII and the generation of Car Hops, a Musical Revolution, and an Age that benefited from the sacrifices of previous few generations. Bruce was fiercely loyal to his family and friends. He loved his boat “Joan Louise” and had to sell it when he got esophageal cancer age 49. He died age 50 after a very difficult year. Mt St Helens blew when he had the first surgery and a year later he was gone. But he is never forgotten. In memory of Bruce, feel free to share any stories you would like to add here to this mini biography.

VI 1. Leonard, b in Canaan, N. H., Dec. 7, 1784, m Love Machmore, of Newburyport, July 5, 1S05. He was a sea captain, and died at New Orleans, while doing business at that port, Sept. 1839, and his wife. Love, died 1863.

VI. Dolly Follansbee. b. July 4th. 1781, in Newbury Port, Mass., m., Feb. 14th. 1700, Ambrose Kibbee, who was born in Summers, Conn., May 25th 1770 and died in East Randolph, Vt., Nov. 22, 1827. She died Dec. 17th. 1823. They had the following issue, viz;

VII. 2. Betsey C. Goodrich, m. first in Williamstown, Vt., June 27, 1832, James Wolcott. He died in Iowa, in 1852, and she m. second David Martin, May 12, 1859. She had by her first husband issue, viz :

VI. 5. Eliphalet Goodrich, b in Newbury, Mass, March 6th, 1783, m Judeth Kimball, who was born in Hopkinton, N. H., April 28th, 1793. She died in Chelsea, Vt., Feb; 7th, 1848, and he died in Chelsea, July 25th, 1856. They had the following children, viz: